Too Young, Too Rich, Too Safe
by Bottlebrush
Summary: Harry, Ron and Hermione join forces to help their exProfessor Lupin out of a difficult situation.


Title: Too Young, Too Rich, Too Safe.

Rating: K

Summary: Harry, Ron and Hermione join forces to help their ex-Professor Lupin out of a difficult situation.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter world or its characters. J. K. Rowling does.

"Is that you, Remus? What's happened to you?"

Tonks's voice, as well as her face, expressed shock, almost horror. But there was nothing particularly horrifying about the man who had just walked into the room. His smooth, unlined face and his long, thick, light brown hair – which held not a trace of grey – would have passed unnoticed almost anywhere. Only his smart new robes which fitted him perfectly, and whose cut and dark green colour were classic rather than fashionable, might have made him stand out in a crowd.

"Of course it is!" he said cheerfully. "Quite an improvement, don't you think? I must admit, those Muggles have the edge on us in some ways. This new invention of theirs – Buttocks, I think they call it – takes years off. And their new treatment for hair – it makes the grey follicles fall out, and new brown ones grow in their place. Better than magic."

Tonks just stared at him, wide-eyed and speechless. But when he sat down beside her she reached out a hand and touched his sleeve, feeling the quality of the thin but warm, finely-woven fabric.

"New robes? But these must have cost……I don't know, I thought you were poor!" she exclaimed.

"I was. But I came into some money. Your cousin, Sirius – "

"I heard he left everything to Harry," said Tonks.

"That's what we all thought. But a later will has been discovered. Harry still gets the house and contents, but the money is divided equally between him and me. I didn't want to take it at first, didn't want to deprive Harry, but he persuaded me that we should comply with Sirius's wishes. And, as he pointed out, there is plenty for both of us. So, you are looking at rather a wealthy man. And I do mean _man_," he added with a significant look.

"Well, of course you're a man," Tonks said, bewildered. "I know _that_."

"Yes, but what you don't know is that I'm now fully human," Remus said, flourishing a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ before her eyes with an air of triumph.

Tonks took the paper. On the front page there was a picture of Bill Weasley, his scarred but still-attractive face smiling. Tonks ran her eyes over the story beneath.

"……distinguished curse-breaker Bill Weasley……attacked by the notorious werewolf Fenrir Greyback in human form……revolutionary new discovery……cure for lycanthropy……so far limited to werewolves originally bitten by Greyback more than thirty years ago……granted a year's leave of absence from Gringotts to devote his time to working on extending cure to all werewolves……"

Tonks looked up, dazed. "Does this mean……?"

"Yes," Remus answered brightly. "I'm no longer a werewolf. No longer a danger to anyone. Since the attack, Bill's blood contains a substance that, combined with other ingredients into a potion, has the effect of lifting the curse from certain werewolves. So far, I have been the only one to benefit from it, but there are high hopes that modifications to the formula will result in eliminating the curse of lycanthropy completely and for ever."

Tonks edged away from him, still staring at the paper.

-oo000oo-

The Trio were sitting in the garden at the Burrow on the last day of August, arguing half-heartedly about whether to return to Hogwarts for their last year, or set about the search for the remaining Horcruxes immediately. They all knew that they would do whatever Harry decided.

Remus Lupin came towards them with the light step of a man from whom a heavy burden has been lifted.

"It worked," he said as he sat down on the grass beside the teenagers. "She's gone right off me. I can't tell you how grateful I am. How did you do it, Hermione?

How did you work out that the things I was using to discourage her were the very things that attracted her to me?"

"Intuition," said Hermione briefly.

"The hair dye," said Remus. "It takes a Muggle to think of something so simple and effective. And that Buttocks stuff……"

"_BO_tox," said Hermione.

"Ah yes, I suppose I thought it was Buttocks because it's made my face look like one."

"I liked your face better the way it was," said Hermione.

"So did she, fortunately. And Harry, thank you so much for paying for the treatment. And for buying me these splendidly elegant robes. I don't know when I'll be able to pay you back."

"I told you, I don't want paying back," said Harry. "I wish that story about the will was true. I'd be glad to give you half Sirius's money, or all of it. I don't need it."

"No, Harry, Sirius meant you to have it. We discussed it, before……There were reasons. But I know he's happy that you used some of it to help me out. Ron, that was a brilliant story you made up about the lycanthropy cure. And getting Bill to go along with it! Which of you faked-up the _Prophet_ front page?"

"Neither of us," said Ron. "That was Fleur. It seems graphic design is one of her talents."

"It certainly is, judging by that paper. Very convincing. Do thank her and Bill for me. I'm indebted to all of you for ever. You've given me back my freedom, and my memories……Of course, eventually Tonks is going to find out that's not true about the cure. But by then she'll have moved on, found someone else."

"Yeah," said Ron. "Charlie."

"No, Hestia," said Hermione.

"_Hestia? _ But she's a – a – she's a _woman!"_

"Yes, Ron, I noticed. And your point is……?"

Harry grinned at Remus, as Ron and Hermione settled in comfortably for one of their interminable wrangles.


End file.
